expertise
The workshop offers to expertise your instrument (in partnership with experts at the court of appeal if necessary). Oral review is free, the written valuation for insurance or sale will be billed 45€. The certificate with pictures is billed depending on the value of the expertised good (from 3% to 8%).
Do not hesitate to send us pictures of your instrument via our online form.
sale
The workshop offers a large choice of instruments, new, ancient, or used ; classical or baroque.
The professional player, student getting ready for a contest, beginner, and amateur, will be able to choose among Italian, french or german instruments from the XVII th century to our days as well as bows to accompagny all instruments. You will also find all type of accessories (rosins, shoulder rests, cases, classical or gut strings…).
location
The workshop offers a large choice of instruments for rental, for professionals or beginners, handmade with woods of exception, naturally dried and manualy oil varnished.
The rental includes : the instrument, a case, a quality bow, a shoulderrest and rosin.
Furthermore, you will benefit of many advantages on accessories. When the instrument is returned, we bill you neither with a set of strings, not with bow reharing. The instrument and bow must simply be returned in good state.
For the acquisition of an instrument, we will deduce the last six month of rental on the price of the instrument.
Pricelist :
-Violin from size 1/32nd to 4/4 : 13€-22€/month
-Viola from size 1/10th to 43,5cm : 15€-24€/month
-Cello from size 1/32nd to 4/4 : 25€-50€/month
-Double bass size 1/16th to 4/4 : 30€-50€/month
Restoration
It’s the speciality of the workshop. After an expertise of the instrument, we work on quotation, respecting the rules of ethical and professional restoration.
Eight years of studies with the masters of violinmaking Michael Baumgartner and Jean Jacques Fasnacht (one of the best in Europe), and over 30 years of experience in this field, have allowed me to aquiere a precious knowlegge, that I share with my assistants.
We use over 300 years old spruce wood, that garanties the liability of the restoration in time, as well as the quality of sound.
Regarding the varnish, we use the same products and methods as used by violinmakers in their time : cooked linseed oil, madder, olibanum resins, cooked amber…
Do not hesitate to come to the workshop to present us with your instruments, it will be an pleasure to inform you.
making
I exclusively work on request, collaborating with the musician to conceive an instrument tailor-made and at his image. Together we choose the model and style of the oil varnish (new or antique). We also select the pieces of wood (maple and spruce) which I chose myself on standing trees in the forest, had cut down during the old winter moon between 1984 and 1992, and wich have been drying since in my workshop.
I equally suggest, for the spruce, some over 300 year old wood, to be used for the front, bassbar, and blocks.
The making of an instrument is a work that requires precision, patience, and thoughness. A constant apprenticeship for more than 35 years in quest of perfection.
Deposit Sale
The workshop offers a deposit sale for your instruments and bows. We are rather more interested in old instruments. An 8% to 14% commission (depending on the value of the instrument) that includes the sound adjustements and insurance of the instrument, will be deduced from the sell price.
Read moreSound adjustements
The sound adjustments of an instrument are made with the musician exclusively on appointment. After complete verifying of the instrument (seams, fingerboard checking, string passing at the top nut, tailpiece length, …) A soundpost adjustment, other choice of string, or keeping of the instrument If needed for a bigger intervention (such as a new bridge, correcting of the neck angle or fingerboard, etc.) is suggested to the musician.
A well adjusted instrument makes the playing easy, optimises the sound, gives more pleasure.